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Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met with several current officials in the Biden administration several years ago to “undermine” former President Trump’s relationship with the country, according to a report.
One of the meetings between Zarif and Robert Malley, now special envoy for Iranian policy, took place in 2019 after Trump withdrew the United States from the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal, the Washington reported on Sunday. Times.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry also met with Zarif in the early years of Trump’s presidency – something he publicly acknowledged. And Obama-era Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz did the same, according to the report.
While the exact details of what was discussed at the meetings were unclear, a former senior US official told the newspaper Zarif’s goal was “to craft a political strategy to undermine the Trump administration.”
The source added that Zarif is looking to regain support for the Iran nuclear deal – or a similar deal, in case the next US president is a Democrat.
Malley, Kerry and Moniz helped negotiate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which slashed the country’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018 and reimposed economic sanctions on Tehran.
Sources told The Times that Malley, in his meeting with Zarif, likely urged Iranian officials to remain tight until 2021, when a Democratic administration was expected to be able to restore the deal.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that the United States was ready to resume negotiations with Iran on the two nations returning to the deal.
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